Office of DEI Presents "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" in the 1st Annual Black History Month Film Series

Throughout the month of February, we’ll be showing one movie per week that addresses the Black experience in America on the Eventive platform, for a true virtual film screening experience, followed by expert-led interactive discussions on the themes raised in the films.

Register for the Film Series On Eventive

WEEK 4 (FEB. 23, 12pm, EST): THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS: Oprah Winfrey stars in the true story of a woman's search for enlightenment about her mother — whose "immortal" cells would save millions of lives. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line, known as HeLa. Told through the eyes of Lack's daughter Deborah (Winfrey) and journalist Rebecca Skloot (Rose Byrne), the film chronicles Deborah's search to learn about the mother she never knew, and to understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks' cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs. Co-starring Renee Elise Goldsberry, Reg E. Cathey, Courtney B. Vance, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Leslie Uggams and Reed Birney. Directed by George C. Wolfe; screenplay by George C. Wolfe and Alexander Woo; based on the book by Rebecca Skloot.

Following the movie, Darin Latimore, MD, deputy dean of diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Yale School of Medicine and Rochelle D. Smith, MS, associate dean of diversity and associate chief diversity officer will lead a discussion on the film and its themes.